Tag: Benjamin Hoskins Paddock

Stephen Craig Paddock is the son of Benjamin Hoskins Paddock (A man once on the FBI’s Most Wanted List)

The father of the gunman behind the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history robbed a string of banks in Arizona, escaped prison in Texas and tried to start a new life as the manager of a bingo parlor in Oregon, according to historical newspaper articles.

Eric, the brother of Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock, who killed at least 50 people from his hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino late Sunday, told the Orlando Sentinel that their father was Benjamin Hoskins Paddock.

The elder Paddock, born in Wisconsin in 1926, had a host of other fake names and nicknames, including “Big Daddy” and “Old Baldy,” and was on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list from 1969 to 1977.

Paddock was indicted in 1960 on three counts of robbing Phoenix branches of Valley National Bank, the Arizona Republic reported on Oct. 6 that year. He was accused of stealing close to $25,000 and was caught in the summer of 1960 by FBI agents after returning to Arizona from Las Vegas.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Paddock was convicted and slapped with a 20-year prison sentence, but the lengthy jail term was cut short when he busted out of a federal prison in Texas in 1969, the Eugene Register-Guard reported.

An escaped federal prisoner poster issued by the FBI at the time said Paddock was “diagnosed as psychopathic” and “reportedly has suicidal tendencies and should be considered armed and dangerous.” FoxNews

This is the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. At least 58 people are dead and an estimated 515 others have been injured from the Sunday night massacre in Las Vegas. One police officer was killed and another remains in critical condition.

Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, has been identified as the gunman. He was found dead by police officers in a hotel room on the 32nd floor; he reportedly took his own life.

Why? We will hear and find out more about Paddock over the next few days and weeks.

“There is no reason we can imagine why Stephen would do something like this,” his brother said. “All we can do is send our condolences to the people who died. Just no reason, no warning.”

The younger Paddock repeatedly described his brother as “just a guy” with no serious health or money problems.

“As far as we knew, he had enough money to live the rest of his life in comfort,” he said.